We are having a great time on our vacation.  We got here Monday evening.  Tuesday we went to the Mississippi Museum of Art*. 

(By the way, there are a lot of clickable links but I can't get them to show up underlined on my page for some reason, so I will put an * after them.)
We enjoyed it, though I think we were there a bit long for the kids and lost their attention toward the end of it.  We saw these exhibits:
Between God and Man: Angels in Italian Art
and
The Mississippi Story
We were going to go to the planetarium but we weren't there at the right time so we will have to go back later.
We went to see the Bee Movie and we all liked it.  I do agree there were a few parts that may be questionable, but they were all things that totally went over my kids heads.  We had a nice dinner of popcorn and lemonade, LOL!  We rarely go to the movies, so this was a nice treat for our vacation.
Yesterday (Wednesday) we went and visited a couple of my friends at their work (I used to work with them at a different store) and it was nice to see them again as it's been a few years.  Then we spent the rest of the day shopping.  :D  We went to Target (love it, don't have one where we live now) and we bought fall/winter clothes & shoes needed for the kids and a new electric razor (he's had his old one for over 17 years :eek: and it is finally time to get a new one as it's been making funny sounds lately).  We went to Sam's where we pulled a few sneaky maneuvers to buy some Christmas presents for the kids.  I took them to look at books while DH went back & got a couple of things for the kids, bought them and took them out to the van (in black plastic trash bags, LOL!)  (They didn't know he was doing this.)
Then DH took the kids to the bathroom and out to the van while I went to pay (and picked up a couple more kid things along the way that are also surprises for Christmas).  We mostly had to buy for Michael as we've already got a few things set aside for the girls that have been bought previously.  Last June, we bought scrapbooking kits for kids from Sam's.  Two years ago, we bought these* dolls at a cheap price (and some clothes):
After Christmas last year, we bought some clearanced tea sets and art sets.
These are the things we bought at Sam's this year:
Black & Decker Play Workbench*
Tonka Real Rugged Vehicles* 
Boy's Dress Up Trunk (like this* one, but with boy stuff)
The girls have been into Littlest Pet Shop lately.  This* is definitely going to have to be a shared gift.
They are also getting two sets of American Girl books (Samantha and Felicity).  Sam's also had sets with the cook book & art set, but I thought my girls were a bit young for that yet.  The book sets we did get each come with a small doll (about 6 inches tall).  Katie doesn't yet read well enough for the books, but she probably will before next Christmas, or maybe one of us can read them to her.
I also bought Elizabeth an American Girl magazine for her stocking and a My Little Pony* game for the computer that she'd been eyeing in the store (ssshhhh, she doesn't know she's getting it, LOL!)
This* girl's makeup kit is something else she was eyeing, but we discussed it and I think she is really too young for makeup of any kind.  It does seem like they are marketing it to young girls, but I don't really think that a young girl needs that much makeup, even if it is just for fun around the house.  What do you think?  And, do you let your girls wear makeup (just around the house for play) at all?
We also looked at these* toy vehicles as potential gifts for Michael, but they don't look to be well made and it seems like the doors (which do open) could break off pretty easily, plus we just don't like buying toys that have lights and sound.  We prefer them to make their own sounds (unless they are babies, then we make some exceptions).
Finally, the kids pooled all their money and bought this* Lincoln Log Set. They've been playing with it here in the hotel and love it!
I have insomnia in hotels sometimes and can't sleep too well, hence being up at this hour (in the lobby so I don't wake up the kids).  By the way, if anyone is ever passing through the Jackson, MS area and needs a hotel recommendation, we give this one 5 stars.  We always stay here when we are in town.  They know us by name even when we call on the phone, LOL!  They allow us to have 5 people in one room which is nice.  We get two double beds and the sofa pulls out into a twin-sized bed.  There is also a refrigerator and microwave in the room (on the rare occasion we've gotten a room that didn't have one or the other, when we asked, they brought us one from another room that wasn't being used, if we asked).  There is a really nice breakfast, which includes sausage biscuits you can microwave, boiled eggs, danishes, fruit (limited), cereal, oatmeal packets, coffee, orange or apple juice, milk, toast and waffles.  It's in Clinton not far off I-20.  It is called Best Western Ridgeland Inn.  If you want to use the wireless connection, you may want to ask for a room not too far on the end.  They are also wired though and you can use that if you just want to sit at the desk when you get online.  The rates are very reasonable.  This* link goes to the hotel website.
Later today we are going to the Agriculture Museum* and the Museum of Natural Science*.  Then tomorrow we are going to visit friends at their small hobby farm.  ;-)
Lastly, we plan to go to the zoo* and the planetarium* this weekend, and to see my family on Sunday.
We are having a great time!  I'll try to post pictures later.

We just got a Nutrimill for grinding our own grains, as they are more healthful and nutritious this way.  We also got a Zojirushi bread machine so we can start making our own bread.  I used the recipe from the Breadbecker's site (Ashley's variation):

http://www.breadbeckers.com/recipes/zojirushi_bread.htm

I did have a little confusion on one point.  The recipe states to add the ingredients in order, and generally you put the liquids in first, but the egg was the last thing on the recipe.  I went ahead and mixed it in with the liquids, breaking the yolk so it would mix better.  This is the loaf we ended up with.  It fell just a little, but it was still very tasty. 

I decided to make a second loaf to bring today as I had told my mother-in-law I would bring some for her to try.  We read the back of the breadmaker instructions and tips and decided to try to add 1 tbsp flour to see if that would help it to not fall.  However, this is what we ended up with. 

My mother-in-law (and I love her dearly) said to bring it anyway as it will still be tasty, just a little dense.  I am embarrassed to bring it though!    I was so sad I almost cried when I saw it!  Besides adding a tablespoonful of flour, the only other thing we did different was we did not break the yolk of the egg.  What am I doing wrong?  It is so depressing to wait 2 & 1/2 hours for the bread only to end up with this!

I also have some other questions related to grinding your own wheat and/or making bread.  I didn't want to waste board space, so I am putting this in my blog instead. 

1.  What do you use the various types of wheat for in your own home?  We have hard red, hard white and soft white wheat berries.  I did make some banana bread yesterday with a quick bread recipe and it turned out well.  I used about half hard red (we had leftovers) and half soft white. 

2.  Do you always grind your flour freshly?  I know it begins to oxidize soon so you shouldn't keep it too long, but it seems like it would be a pain (not to mention very loud) to always grind it fresh.  Do you have any you keep already ground in case you just need a little bit here and there?  If you do keep any already ground, how do you store it (in what sort of container and in the fridge or at room temp)?  How long do you keep it?   When you are grinding, how do you figure out how many cups of wheatberries to grind for the flour you need?

3.  Do you clean the hopper (the container where your milled flour ends up) after every time you grind grain?  If not, how often do you clean it?

4.  Do you have to wear earplugs?  The Nutrimill is supposed to be quieter but it is actually quite loud and sounds sort of like a jet plane taking off or landing. 

5.  Do you make a mess?  I wasn't trying to, but you can imagine the flour everywhere!  I can tell I am going to have to wear an apron or something for sure. 

6.  Do you make all your family's bread that you use for toast, sandwiches, and everything else?  What else do you make for your family?  (I guess that sort of relates to the first question above.)  How many loaves do you make every week, and how often do you make bread?  How long does it take to get your bread going?  It seems to still take a long time, though I'm sure not as long as it would take to make it by hand.  It just seems to take a while to do the grinding and all the measuring.  I am not really used to doing much cooking around here though.  (DH is wonderful and he does most of it. since he stays home with the kids.)

Anyway, sorry this got long, but I would sure appreciate any feedback!  And, happy thanksgiving to all!

Another great one from Heather's blog.

What kinds of strangers are dangerous?

• Treat all strangers as if they are dangerous.

• A stranger may try to trick children in many different ways.

• You can't tell who is a nice stranger and who is a dangerous stranger.
• Dangerous strangers can act nice.
• Even strangers who know your name, family members' names, or where you live are dangerous. This information is not hard for strangers to find out.
• Even strangers who look the same age as an older brother or sister can be dangerous.

What are some dangerous situations?
These are times you should run the other way and immediately find a safe place or a safe adult:

• Strangers who ask you for directions
• Strangers who try to touch you
• Strangers who show you a private body part
• Strangers who ask you to help them find something they have lost
• Strangers who offer you gifts, money, or candy
• Strangers who offer you a ride
• Strangers who have pets or other neat things they want you to come look at
• Strangers who ask you to go somewhere with them
• ADULTS ASK ADULTS for help, not children!  Strangers may ask for help in finding a lost animal, etc.

What is stranger safety?

• Never talk to a stranger.

• Never let a stranger get too close, whether he or she is in a car or walking.

• Never accept candy, a present, a ride, or anything else from a stranger.

• Never tell a stranger your name or address.

• Never go with a stranger to find a lost puppy. Adults ask adults for help.

• Never go into deserted places alone.

• Never keep secrets from your parents about strangers.

• Always try to walk with a friend or a grown-up.

• Always stick to the same safe route in traveling to and from school or a friend’s house.

• Never open the door for a stranger, if you are home alone.

• It's always best to walk with someone else, even if the person is younger or smaller than you are. Groups are even safer.
• Know where your "safe spots" are. Safe spots are the houses of people you know. Go to a safe spot if a stranger tries to get close to you.
• Stores, libraries, schools, police stations, and fire stations are also safe places.
• If a stranger comes toward you, immediately run the other direction.
• If a stranger asks you something, run the other way.
• If a stranger is near and you don't feel safe, run away and make as much noise as you can. Scream and yell and try to get people's attention.  See below for WHAT to yell ...... 
• Run as soon as you can. Never wait around to see what the stranger might do next.
• Go to a safe spot right away and tell an adult about the stranger.
• Never take gifts, candy, or food from strangers.
• Never walk toward a stranger, even if they want to show you something.
• Never follow a stranger, get in the car with a stranger, or let a stranger take you somewhere.

What about answering the phone?

• Young children should never be left home alone.
• Some older children can be left home alone if they are prepared, responsible, and know how to handle emergencies.
• Teach your child not to answer the phone if he is home alone.
• Or, teach him how to answer the phone if he is home alone.
  • Never tell a caller you are home alone.
  • Say that your parents are busy and can't come to the phone.
  • Never tell a caller your name, phone number, or address.
  • If the caller asks for this information, hang up and call a safe adult.
  • If a stranger calls twice, hang up and call a safe adult.
  • If the caller teases you or says things that scare you, hang up and call a safe adult.

What about answering the door?

• Young children should never be left home alone.
• Some older children can be left home alone if they are prepared, responsible, and know how to handle emergencies.
• Teach your child not to answer the door if he is home alone.
• Or, teach him how to answer the door if he is home alone.
  • If someone knocks, keep the door closed and locked.
  • Look through the window or peephole to see who is there.
  • Never tell the visitor you are home alone.
  • Say that your parents are busy and can't come to the door.
  • Talk to the visitor through the closed door. Don't open the door. Keep it locked.
  • Never let a stranger in, even to use the bathroom or the phone.
  • Don't let anyone in unless your parents said it was okay for this person to come in. If you didn't talk about this person, don't let them in even if you know them.
  • If the person says they came to deliver something or fix something, say your parents are busy and take a message.
  • If the person will not go away or tries to get in, call 911.

How can we avoid problems with strangers?

• Teach your child never to wander in the woods, alleys, or isolated streets.
• Teach your child to come home before it gets dark. Instead of walking home after dark, children should call a safe adult.
• Be on time to pick your child up. Call an adult if you will be late so they can supervise your child while he waits.
• Teach your child not to help strangers. If a stranger needs help, your child should find a safe adult and tell them.
• Teach your child his address and home phone number and a back-up number, like a grandparent. If the child is ever in trouble or needs a ride, he can call.
• Teach your child to tell a parent, teacher, or other trusted adult if a stranger ever asks him to keep a "secret."
• Teach your child to tell an employee if he is lost (at an amusement park, at the mall, etc.).
• Teach your child these safety tips in a matter of fact way. Do not scare him.
• Ask your doctor for more safety tips.

Quick Answers

• Children should treat all strangers as if they are dangerous.
• Teach children to run away from strangers who offer a ride, candy, gifts, or who ask for directions. Never go anywhere with a stranger.
• Teach your child stranger safety. If a stranger ever tries to come toward him or talk to him, he should run in the other direction and tell a safe adult.
• Teach your child how to answer the phone or door if he is home alone.
• Children should never tell a stranger they are home alone. They should call a safe adult right away if a stranger at the door or on the phone won't leave them alone or is scaring them.
• Teach your child not to help strangers. If a stranger needs help, your child should find a safe adult and tell them.

And some of the best advice I found ...

If a stranger tries to grab you, yell as loud as you can and run away. Yell "this is not my daddy", if it is a man. If it is a woman, yell "this is not my mommy". Sometimes if you just yell help, people think that you are just a bad child throwing a temper tantrum with one of your parents or a caregiver. But if you let people know that it is a stranger that has you, they will try to help. If this does not work, yell fire! fire!  A fire call always gets the attention of others. While yelling, try to fight your way free by punching, kicking, biting, etc. Once you are free, run tell a trusted adult so that they can contact the police.

*****This ends the quoted part.  Heather wasn't sure of the author.  I did find this link in a google search.

http://www.virtualpediatrichospital.org/patients/cqqa/strangersafety.shtml

I was in the city spelling bee in 6th grade. Oh, and my maiden name was a food, and my married name is another food.
I was a foster child growing up, yet I was a National Merit finalist and a great student and really an overall good kid (compared to most people's views of foster kids). I am a member of Rho Chi (pharmacy school honor society) and I graduated with honors from pharmacy school, so I guess I did all right, with God's help.
Also, I went to a math & science residential public school for my junior & senior years of high school, but when I went to college, I started out majoring in communications, thinking I wanted to be a journalist. I thank my Lord that my foster dad steered me into pharmacy as it has been a great field for me and was something I would never have considered.

On a board where I post, the question was asked, "How do YOU stay healthy?"  This was my response.

Well, nothing I have ever done before has really worked for long when I was trying to lose weight. Now I am not trying to lose weight, just be healthier. We've decided to make just a few small changes for now until we get used to them. Maybe next month we'll add something else to make us healthier. Losing weight would be a nice side effect, but we've decided to focus on just being healthier since that benefits everyone in the family.

Here is what we are doing. We just started this about a week ago, but it is going well and I have lost a few pounds this week without really trying.

1. Having daily devotionals & prayers for ourselves individually, as a couple and as a family. I can't believe I didn't make this number one when I started writing this long reply, but had to come back up & add it. We all know this should be a priority for our health & well-being.

2. Planning meals means less eating out & less fast food and more cooking healthier meals. It also means I often have leftovers to take to work for lunch instead of having to buy something. Since I can't leave our building for lunch, I was usually buying a plate of fried chicken, macaroni & cheese and potato wedges. So hopefully this is saving us money also.

3. Aiming to eat at least five fruits and/or vegetables every day. We try for 1 at breakfast, 2 at lunch and 2 with supper. If we only get one with lunch, we try to have one for a snack.

4. Getting up every morning & walking, even if I have to work that day. We only walk for about 20 minutes but it is much better than nothing. I started out just saying I would walk on my days off, but going ahead & scheduling it for every day (into our daily routine) is working much better. I have more energy during the day, and if I do miss a day for some reason, I don't feel bad about it but just make sure I don't miss more than 1 day in a row. We are trying morning walks now, as it is usually still hot in the evening, plus the bugs are more prevalent in the evening. And when we would try to work in a walk at night, it just wasn't getting done. We have too many evening thunderstorms here and other excuses that come up to keep us from walking.

5. Get everyone to bed by their specific bedtime. Our (parents) bedtime allows us to get at least 7 hours of sleep at night as long as we make ourselves go to bed on time. When I don't get home from work until 7:30 (on the days I work) it is hard to go to bed any earlier, so our bedtime is 11 p.m. I am also a night owl, so this is actually earlier than we had been going to bed. Now that it is starting to get dark earlier again, it is easier to enforce the kids' bedtimes than it was this summer, which helps us all get more rest, and I do believe sleep is extremely important to good health.

6. We all drink water most of the time. I try to drink at least 8 cups of water daily and I have a large insulated cup with a lid that holds about 4 cups worth, so I try to drink at least 2 of those daily. I keep water & ice in it all day long.

7. Having a daily schedule helps us be healthier too. We have a schedule for our school days and the morning & evening routines especially help us stick with the walking. And I just wanted to reiterate how much better that morning walk makes us all feel (or me at least). I think a successful evening routine helps me to get a much better start to my day the next morning. I also try to get on the computer less in the morning, though this morning we decided to allow everyone to sleep until 6:30 instead of 6:00 since I don't have to work. Since I woke up before everyone else anyway, I decided to get online now so I'm not taking time away from my family later on. And I think when we have a set routine we try to follow (including getting dressed all the way to putting shoes on, for me anyway) we are all more productive, and we are also more likely to make sure we allow time for our daily devotionals and prayers. Ack, I really should have made our daily devotionals & prayers number one on the staying healthy list. I'm going to go back up & add it now. Okay, I am back now. Anyway, we are also all more likely to sit down to most meals together.

Sorry this got so long. I think I am inspired to post this to my blog. Thanks for asking this & causing me to think!

I posted this on the Five in a Row boards last week...  (December 27th)

We got a bunny around mid-September or so. We got it from DH's brother & his kids. He is divorced so his kids weren't there very often to play with it, and it was in a small cage outside by itself. We got it & bought a lot of nice things for it, and kept it in a playpen-type cage in the floor of our bathroom (the toilet is in a separate area). We took her out from time to time too to play with her & pet & cuddle her & let her run around the house (supervised of course). I am sure we spoiled her.

Well, a few weeks ago she started having some bleeding from her bottom area and we weren't sure what it was. That was when I posted asking if rabbits had menstrual-type bleeding. Well, it wasn't a whole lot but enough for us to be concerned and when it hadn't stopped after more than a week, DH & kids took her to the vet (one week ago today). We have never used this vet before. He called the one he was familiar with but they said he didn't treat rabbits. Anyway, the vet said Oreo had worms & gave wormer, plus said it might have an intestinal infection from that & gave an antibiotic called Albon.

Well, a day or so after they came back from the vet, the bleeding seemed worse that ever. Then it was Christmas eve & we had to leave to go out of town for 2 nights. We left Oreo with some fresh lettuce & a full bowl of rabbit pellets, and a large container of fresh water, and a clean litterbox, so she should have been fine.

Well, there was more blood all over the floor when we got back (yesterday around 6 p.m. or so) and she hadn't even appeared to touch her food, and she also hadn't really used the litterbox either (so she wasn't eating or eliminating). DH planned to take her back to the vet today.

Well, now he just came in & asked if I had looked at the bunny yet this morning & I hadn't because it was still dark when I got up & used the bathroom this morning. When he asked me that though somehow I just knew what he was going to say. How do we tell our kids??? I feel so terribly guilty, like we did something wrong that caused this to happen.

And, this bunny did belong to the girls' favorite cousins, are they going to think we killed their poor bunny? Matt's brother had his kids last week up to Christmas night, so it will probably be a couple of weeks or more before they come back this way (they live about 2 hours away).
We did take her to the vet. Is there something else we should have done?

Now I am angry and upset and wondering if the vet could have misdiagnosed her or something. Ugh, I am just upset all around this morning. Please, any advice (and quickly) would be good. We locked the bathroom door for now so the girls wouldn't see her.

As an update to this...

Well, I sat down with them and explained it, and everyone cried (even Michael, though I suspect he only cried because everyone else was crying). Elizabeth was especially upset about it and kept saying over and over again that the bunny was her favorite pet. This is their first time to really experience death. Right now they are all going to go outside with dad to help pick out a place to bury him. I just cannot get over how upsetting this is to Elizabeth.

And finally...

We did bury her under a tree in the side yard.  DH dug the hole and the kids helped him put the dirt back in over the bunny.  Elizabeth sang a sweet song, over and over "Our poor bunny, he died..." and it was very sad.  It has been a few days now though and they seem better, though I did cry yesterday because I thought to myself (in my head) that we had to be sure we bought more hay for the bunny (something we were always  having to do) and then realized we didn't need it anymore. 

Elizabeth already wants to get a new pet.  We just aren't ready for another one right now though.  We do have 2 cats and a fish which we've had for a long time.  We hadn't really had Oreo the bunny that long, only a few months.  We've had our cats for over 8 years, and it will be a devastating day for all when one of them passes.